Article graphics by Omar Zahran (@omarzahran.bsky.social on Bluesky)
When the Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges in the summer of 2024, it was with a clear goal in mind: take a step closer to winning a championship. That summer was eventually followed by the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns, and the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Bridges was brought in as a 3-and-D wing to pair with OG Anunoby, a pairing that many fans salivated over in the wake of the deal. The idea was that he would take a more supporting role like when he was in Phoenix—allowing him to be more impactful on the defensive end and to feast off of corner threes.
In his first season in New York, the results were mixed in a regular season that had many ups and downs with reports suggesting that there was friction between Bridges and former head coach Tom Thibodeau. The irony is that in the playoffs, Bridges had two game-sealing defensive moments against Boston that helped the Knicks advance past the defending champions.
Heading into this season with a new head coach, there have been questions about Bridges. Was there another level for him to unlock with this Knicks team, or would he be relegated as a nice-to-have fourth option? Offensively we’ve seen him improve his three point efficiency and be more aggressive at the rim. But it has been his defense that has stood out, and Knicks are getting the player they coveted enough to pay a king’s ransom of draft capital for.
Taking a Defensive Leap
The disappointing aspect of Bridges’ defense last year was not necessarily that it was bad, but that it didn’t adjust based on his role on the team. When he was in Brooklyn, he was the primary scoring option. Typically, those players are not asked to do as much on the defensive end because their value is putting up points on the other end. So when much of his defensive metrics remained the same despite lower offensive usage, it raised alarms for many. In fact, his usage in New York was similar to his last year in Phoenix, and yet all of his defensive numbers were down across the board.
Under Mike Brown, the Knicks have employed what they call a “shifting” defense. It’s main function is to keep opposing ballhandlers from getting into the paint through gap positioning as opposed to directly guarding their man. This is why you will often see the Knicks give up a lot of three point looks to opposing offenses. A wrinkle in this scheme that can be overlooked is that playing gaps is a great way to unlock one of Mikal Bridges’ best assets: his wingspan.
With a 6’7” frame and a 7’1” wingspan, Bridges is ideally situated to play passing lanes and contest shots at a high level for his size profile. The potential has become a reality this season, as we have seen a tremendous statistical jump in his second year as a Knick. His block percentage and steal percentage have more than doubled and his defensive rebounding rate has improved by 50%. His steal and block rate are well above the average for his position, to the point it is fair to suggest that it has become an elite trait of his.
The raw counting stats show this as well. He is averaging 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game—both career highs. What these numbers have translated to is an uptick in fast break opportunities for the Knicks. 21.6% of Bridges’ points this year have been on the break, an indication that his defense is paying dividends on the offensive side of the ball as well.
This year, Bridges ranks highly in most defensive metrics. He is third in steals and 6th in blocks (among non-centers). He is also 17th in defensive win shares and 8th in defense box plus/minus. In what has been a somewhat middling campaign defensively for the Knicks, he has been a bright spot and a proof of concept of Brown’s system working. And that will be essential come playoff time.
Elevated Importance
It goes without saying that Jalen Brunson is the most important player on the Knicks. The team will only go as far as The Captain takes them. But it can be argued that the performance of Mikal Bridges will go a long way to determining how far this team can advance in the postseason. Last season, while undoubtedly successful, felt a bit off at times.
Much of that could be attributed to the on-the-fly integration of both Bridges and Towns to a team that had multiple years of continuity. But the secondary piece to that is that it was clear Bridges and Thibodeau didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. Much of that has been resolved with Mike Brown, whose collaborative approach seems to suit all of the players on the roster well.
More than anything, Bridges is playing with more comfort and feel than last year—and the statistics show that. His rebounding and assists are up, and his efficiency on twos and threes is also up. He is turning into the two-way player that fans hoped he would be when he arrived from Brooklyn.
Ultimately, Bridges will be judged by the picks that were used to acquire him. It remains to be seen what will become of the remaining selections that the Nets hold (the first pick from the trade became Ben Saraf, who has only played in 8 games for the Nets this season). But it will all be worth mortgaging future drafts if they deliver a title. That is the pressure that Bridges will carry, fair or not. But with the way that he has played on defense this season, he is, at the very least, on the right track.
